Forensic Science - Subject Guide

Where to start?

Base your selection of a starting point on:

• disciplinary or subject focus, and/or
• type or format of information needed (book, scholarly article, popular magazine or newspaper article, review article).

Looking for background information as an introduction to a topic?

• Try searching  the library catalog (Quick Search) or Annual Reviews for this type of information. Quick Search will point you to books (e- and print), as well as other resources.
• Annual Reviews contain lengthy articles that summarize key research on a topic, and provide an extensive bibliography.
• Distance students: Consider searching WorldCat, particularly for books. You might find items you need available in libraries geographically closer to you than the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries.

Looking for primary research articles? Search one or more of the online indexes found at the "Journal Articles & More" tab.

How to start?

Broad topics - Use keywords. You can always narrow your search later.

Connectors - Connect your search terms wisely:

• AND = all terms must be present in a result (narrows your search)
• OR = only one of the terms must be present (broadens your search)
• NOT eliminates term(s) from your search.

Spelling counts - If your search isn't working, check your typing.

Spelling variations - Is it honeybee or honey bee? Behavior or behaviour? Fertilizer or fertiliser?

Truncation saves you typing and increases the number of your results. Check the index for the symbol used; a common truncation symbol is the asterisk (*). Add the symbol to the root of the search term (e.g. biodegrad* = biodegrade, biodegrades, biodegradation, biodegradable).

Wildcard saves you typing and time by replacing a letter in a search term. Check the index for the symbol to use. For example, wom?n searches for woman and women.

Online indexes - sometimes called databases - provide you with citations to articles, book chapters, DVDs, etc. published by both academic and popular publishers. Each index has its own interface for searching, but most will allow searches by keyword(s), subject(s), author(s), title, and/or source (journal title, book title, etc.).

Listed below are indexes through which you can discover and access information in forensic science. In some cases, full-text content is available in the index (links to HTML content and/or a PDF will appear in the record); for others, check on full-text availability by choosing the Find This for Me button.

Google Scholar is a search engine that points you to scholarly literature; it is particularly good at discovering publications that are freely-accessible online. For best results, use Google Scholar as one of several tools in your literature search - combine Google Scholar searches with those in relevant online indexes found in the "Online Indexes" list.

Google Scholar can alert you to materials available from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. Choose the Google Scholar link above, or the link found on the Libraries' E-Resources page. Look for Find This for Me in your results to link to materials provided by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries.